The GAAP team is comprised of bold solution seekers, close to the farm, working to understand producer's needs.
CEO & President
Karen Churchill
Dr. Karen Churchill grew up on a seed grain and potato farm in Scott, Saskatchewan that has always been an active early adopter of new trends in agriculture. She received a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota.
Karen has been employed as a Research Fellow for the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in Adelaide, Australia; a Product Development Scientist and Project Manager in Flavouring at M&M Mars in Slough, UK; and as the Global Quality Projects Manager for Cargill Malt, based in Biggar, SK. In 2015, Karen was appointed as the Director of Research and Market Support for Cereals Canada, where her work required fostering partnerships and collaborations. She led the Sustainability Metrics Project for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops, co-led the National Wheat Research Strategy with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and worked closely with producers, industry and government agencies to address regulatory issues regarding how they impact agricultural trade. In 2019, Karen accepted the position of president and CEO of Ag-West Bio in Saskatoon, SK. In her role as CEO, Karen will continue to develop initiatives to support innovation and commercialization in the agriculture and agri-food sector.
Karen is involved in several advisory roles including Technical Reviewer for the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), and as a member of the Steering Common for the North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAN). Karen serves as a director on the boards of Agri-Food Innovation Council (AIC) and Protein Industries Canada (PIC), and also served as a director on the boards of the Healthy Grains Institute and Ag-West Bio.
Lab and Facilities Manager
Martin Wilding
Martin grew up in Bloemfontein South Africa which is very much like Saskatoon just not as cold! He emigrated with his wife and two boys from South Africa in April 2022.
His career focused on research and development in various agricultural sectors. Starting from wine making at Stellenbosch University where he helped to develop better yeasts for wine cellars, then moving on to making mycorrhiza products to improve plant growth. This introduced him to the fascinating world of soil health and all the microbes involved. The next step was to focus on composting and how to turn agricultural waste into good quality compost.
Molecular technology allowed him to verify the high diversity of microbes in composts and how it affected soil health. This adds up to almost 20 years of R&D experience in various laboratories
Marketing &
Communications Manager
Grayson Berting
Grayson is a third generation grain and cattle farmer on her family farm Ravenworth Cattle in Middle Lake, Saskatchewan.
She acquired her B.Comm in Management and Marketing in 2019. She is a director on the Sask Young Ag board, a graduate of the NextGen Mentorship Program through Canadian Western Agribition and was a 4-H member for 16 years.
Scientific Liaison and Programs Coordinator
Alejandra Castillo Toro
Office Assistant
Ola Aina
Alejandra is a Columbian industrial microbiology professional. She will soon graduate from the University of Saskatchewan with a Master of Science in Health Sciences.
During her training as a microbiologist, Alejandra learned about the diverse properties of microbes and their potential applications in process improvement and new product development. This experience fueled her passion for scientific research. Early in her career, Alejandra was encouraged to join a research laboratory and lead an undergraduate research group on the biodegradation of plastic pollutants. She also had the opportunity to author and co-author scientific articles.
Olamide Aina started her career as an experienced banking professional from Nigeria with a background in BSc Economics for over 4 years. Her interest in financial management led to a Masters degree in Finance from Coventry University in UK. She has worked in diversified roles where she has been responsible for analyzing cash flow, providing detailed financial reports and budget preparation. When she’s not working on figures, Ola loves to travel with family to new places and enjoy all that nature has to offer.